Method of operating a plurality of utilities, a utilities network system for carrying out the method and a control device for such a network
First Claim
1. A method of operating a plurality of different types of utilities in a geographical region, each of said plurality of utilities having control means for controlling the physical structure of the corresponding utility in response to a plurality of information factors related to the operation of the corresponding utility, each of said plurality of utilities determining the behavior of a different physical system of said geographical region;
- wherein said method comprises the steps of;
identifying at least one first information factor of said control means of one of said plurality of utilities which is related to at least one second information factor of said control means of another of said plurality of utilities;
deriving common information from said at least one first information factor of said control means of said one of said plurality of utilities and said at least one second information factor of said control means of said another of said plurality of utilities;
supplying said common information to said control means in each of said plurality of utilities; and
operating each of said plurality of utilities such that the corresponding control means uses said plurality of information factors and said common information in the control of the physical structure of the respective utility.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In order to operate a plurality of utilities, the utilities are interconnected via a communication path. Each utility has a control device for controlling the utility and a memory for storing information factors which are used by the corresponding control device. The information factors corresponding to all the utilities are investigated by an extraction device to determine which are common to the utilities and which are related. Where the common information factors are identified, they are passed by the communication path to the memories of all the utilities. Similarly, when related information factors are found, a calculating device calculates common information which is also passed via the communication path to the memories of all the utilities. In this way, the utilities may operate more efficiently than when they are operated on a stand-alone basis. The investigation of the information factors, and the calculating of common information from related information factors may be distributed among the utilities or carried out by a common control device. The utilities may be electric power supply systems, district heating and cooling systems, sewage disposal systems, waste recovery systems, etc.
117 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of operating a plurality of different types of utilities in a geographical region, each of said plurality of utilities having control means for controlling the physical structure of the corresponding utility in response to a plurality of information factors related to the operation of the corresponding utility, each of said plurality of utilities determining the behavior of a different physical system of said geographical region;
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wherein said method comprises the steps of; identifying at least one first information factor of said control means of one of said plurality of utilities which is related to at least one second information factor of said control means of another of said plurality of utilities; deriving common information from said at least one first information factor of said control means of said one of said plurality of utilities and said at least one second information factor of said control means of said another of said plurality of utilities; supplying said common information to said control means in each of said plurality of utilities; and operating each of said plurality of utilities such that the corresponding control means uses said plurality of information factors and said common information in the control of the physical structure of the respective utility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A utilities network system comprising a plurality of different types of utilities in a geographical region, each of said plurality of utilities having control means for controlling the physical structure of the corresponding utility in response to a plurality of information factors related to the operation of the corresponding utility, each of said plurality of utilities including means for determining the behavior of a different physical system of said geographical region;
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wherein said system further includes; identification means for identifying at least one first information factor of said control means of one of said plurality of utilities which is related to at least one second information factor of said control means of another of said plurality of utilities; deriving means for deriving common information from said at least one first information factor of said control means of said one of said plurality of utilities and said at least one second information factor of said control means of said another of said plurality of utilities; and supply means for supplying said common information to said control means in each of said plurality of utilities; said control means of each of said plurality of utilities operating to control the physical structure of the corresponding utility on the basis of said plurality of information factors and said common information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A control device for controlling the physical structure of a utility in a utilities network system, having a plurality of utilities for supplying respective services, said control device comprises:
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identification means for identifying at least one first information factor of a first one of said plurality of utilities which is related to at least one second information factor of a second one of said plurality of utilities, each information factor being related to the operation of a utility; derivation means for deriving common information from said at least one first information factor; and supply means for supplying said common information to each of said plurality of utilities for use in controlling the physical structure thereof.
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Specification